It has been a very busy week and it continues to be a busy weekend - with the Easter traditions and family get-togethers. We are also putting up the kids' swing set that we brought with us from our old house and it has sat unused under our porch since. Of course, as we are putting it up, we are wondering if the rusted metal structure is worth the work or if we should just scrap it and get another one. Since the main structure is up, I guess we will go with it for now! The kids don't really seem to mind too much. Josh believes the rust can be mostly sanded down and repainted. And as Josh and I always say - We played on stuff that didn't meet any of today's safety codes and we turned out alright!
Elias had the little boy from across the street stay with him last night and they stayed up until after 10 p.m., which is very late for him, so he was starting to crash by the time we got home from our church's egg hunt this morning. The kids are both napping and the house is so quiet. It is the first time the kids have both napped for a long time.
Since I had a few minutes, I thought I would share some things about the Compassion meeting I went to last weekend. There is so much that I would love to share, but some of it Josh posted on his blog in this post, this post, and this post.
The highlight of the weekend for me was getting to speak with Richmond Wandera again. I met him first at a Women's conference in Charleston, WV, that I attended with ladies from my church. When I returned from meeting him the first time, I wrote this to my fellow WV advocates.
We heard a beautiful explanation of what Compassion is all about, given by Richmond. Richmond was a Compassion sponsored child in Uganda and is the pastor in the same church where he attended the Compassion program as a child.
When I went to the table, Richmond was standing right next to me the entire time I worked with people who were coming to sponsor. I have been at concerts where a sponsored child has spoken, but I have never worked side-by-side at the sponsorship table with them. It really made me realize anew that I am fighting for these kids' lives. I am not doing this to fulfill some type of commitment I made. I am not doing it because I want to make myself feel better about being in wealthy America. I am doing it because these are my brothers and sisters and God's kingdom can and will be furthered in their culture through the hope they find in Jesus Christ.
But that isn't the only change in my thinking that was caused by standing beside Richmond. I am embarrassed to say, that even though I have always held compassion and mercy for the children represented by each packet, I have not always had the same respect and mercy for their parents and extended families. As I stood beside Richmond, I realized that Richmond's family deserves my care and concern as much as he does. These children's parents were children in these same environments and they are parents in these environments now. They not all are saints and not all are victims, but God offers them all mercy, and so I should too.
Bottom line is that I wanted to do my job as an advocate better and more responsibly because Richmond was there and I didn't want to let him, his family, or his community down.
But God again had something for me to learn from Richmond. About an hour before we left for the conference, we had a man come to give us an estimate to have a fence installed in our backyard. The man told us it would be $1,200, which was higher than we expected. But we were still considering it as we drove off to Ohio, because we want to keep our kids safe, right? If we have a fence, I could let the kids go out and play while I am in the house and know they'll stay there and know one else can get into the yard with them. As I listened to Richmond's story of how he and his 6 young siblings would wander the streets or go to the dump every day looking for enough food to eat or just as a simple respite from the intense heat of the 10X10 home they shared, my heart felt a distinct conviction . I thought to myself, "I live in a fairly safe neighborhood. I have a porch with a roof over it that is as big as Richmond's house was where I could sit comfortably and watch my kids play and I have several elderly ladies as neighbors who watch my kids as closely as I do - if not even more! I am wanting to spend more than many people in the world make in a year simply for the convenience of not having to go outside with them. And, even if I get the fence, that doesn't guarantee my kids will be safe. Something could happen to them anywhere they go." - Now before I go on, I am not saying having a fence is wrong or a bad decision for anyone else. In fact, I would still like to have a fence very much. But I don't need the fence. My kids don't need the fence. *Que the Veggie Tales Stuff Mart Song from Madame Blueberry* It is so easy for me to justify something as a need - especially if it is to keep my kids from harm. But God directs our paths and He is ultimately watching over each one of us. It doesn't matter if we are searching for our daily bread on the hot, dusty streets of Uganda or if we are running in the plush green grass of West Virginia. He sees us and knows that each one of us needs to know He is God. He can protect us and mend us when we are broken. He can provide for us when we have nothing and he can convict us when we have plenty. God is good. He is living and active and present with us always. Jesus touched those who traveled on dusty roads with broken hearts and empty bellies. He died for the cruelty that sin brings to our lives and He was raised so that we can know that sin does not have victory over us.
If you would like to be part of blessing the life of another, you can follow this link and see children who are waiting for a sponsor.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Ps. 34:18
Have a blessed Easter!
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